-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Syrian soldiers working to retake a rebellious northern town killed , wounded and arrested members of `` armed terrorist groups '' operating in the region , state media reported Saturday .

This development unfolded as Syrian troops on Friday afternoon came to the entrances of the city , Jisr Al-Shugur , in an operation `` to restore security and tranquility to the area which was being terrorized by armed terrorist groups , '' the Syrian Arab News Agency reported .

This military offensive took place amid anti-government protests raging across Syria for nearly three months , outpourings that have led to violent security crackdowns on demonstrators .

Syria 's Bashar al-Assad regime has consistently blamed what it calls armed gangs for the bloodshed over the last three months . But activists and protesters say security forces have caused the violence .

The Syrian government announced it would punish Jisr Al-Shugur after it accused `` armed groups '' of killing at least 120 security forces there several days ago .

Syrian refugees who fled to Turkey disputed that claim , saying some of the soldiers rebelled after being ordered to fire on unarmed protesters and instead started fighting among themselves .

The military advance spread panic throughout the civilian population , and residents said they had evacuated women and children from Jisr Al-Shugur in recent days . More than 3,800 Syrians have fled to Turkey , the Anatolia news agency reported .

In the nearby town of Maaret al-Nouman on Friday , Syrian security forces and helicopters advancing toward Jisr Al-Shugur sprayed automatic weapons fire into a crowd of thousands of protesters demonstrating after Friday prayers .

As the army reached Jisr Al-Shugur , it `` arrested a large number of the armed terrorist group members and killed and wounded a number of them , despite the fact that these groups resorted to setting up traps using dynamites stolen from Wadi Abyad dam area , '' SANA reported , citing Syrian TV .

The military confiscated machine guns , explosive devices , detonators and Turkish SIM cards from those arrested , state TV reported on Saturday .

`` Cameramen and reporters '' were ambushed at the entrance of Jisr Al-Shugur `` after they came under heavy fire by the terrorist armed gangs . '' It said the journalists were doing well and there were no casualties .

`` The army managed to foil the armed groups ' attempts to besiege the grain silos in the area . The group had threatened to burn crops and any vehicle that attempts to transport groups to the silos , '' SANA reported .

Protests spread across Syria on Friday and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 25 people were killed in various locations , including 11 in Maaret al-Nouman .

Amnesty International said it believes that more than 1,100 people have been killed in the three-lcrackdown , including 82 children .

Every Friday for weeks , anti-government marches have been organized after Muslim prayers . Friday 's expression of discontent was called `` the Friday of kinship . '' '

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`` A large number '' of arrests are made , state media reports

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`` A number of `` armed '' terrorists are killed or wounded

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The conflicts in Syria has raged for three months